Examples of God’s Judgments Upon Israel (1 Corinthians 10:1–13)

The main thought—that those eating food offered to idols participate in a demonic table, therefore are not innocent and ought to fear the wrath of God—the Apostle unfolds in the middle of the chapter (verses 15–22). But before this he sets forth: a) examples of God’s judgments upon the Israelites, who were chosen like Christians and sinned against God, through other sins as well as through idolatry (verses 1–14). And afterwards b) he applies rules as to how to deal with food, so as not to sin by consuming food offered to idols (1 Cor. 10:23–33).

l) Examples of God’s judgments (1 Cor. 10:1–13)

The Apostle set these examples in advance in order to prepare obedience to his instruction to refrain from food offered to idols, as the deed of the impious. He says, as it were: behold how strictly God dealt with those who were found guilty of idolatry—so that, having then said: and you become participants in idolatry through eating food offered to idols—he concludes: depart then from this. Or do you provoke God to anger? Are you stronger than He? (verses 14–24). But lest someone think that those are Israelites, and we are different—he first of all draws aa) a parallel between the Israelites and Christians: you are baptized, and they were baptized in the cloud and in the sea; you eat the Body and Blood of the Lord, and they ate spiritual food and drank spiritual drink (1 Cor. 10:1–4). bb) But God did not spare them when they sinned; He will not spare you: for all that “happened to them as an example” (1 Cor. 10:5–13). The conclusion from this is evident: flee therefore from idolatry (1 Cor. 10:14).

1 Cor. 10:1–2. For I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.

When beginning to speak about the race track, he said: “Do you not know?” but here he says: “I do not want you to be ignorant”—I want you to know, which is the same as: do you know? or know. “Our fathers,” not yours; he places himself on the side of the Israelites, in contrast to the Gentiles, so as to give the thought that just as then the Israelites were chosen from all nations, so now from all nations, not excluding even Israelites, Christians are chosen. “All were under the cloud and all passed through the sea.” A well-known history. For a time it is not clear where the discourse is going, but the unexpected turn simply arouses attention. “All were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.” Here is where the discourse goes: to show in the passage under the cloud and crossing through the sea a prefigurement of baptism. Saint Paul does not set one feature against another, but with one word “were baptized” gives to understand all that he wanted to say. “What happened to them,” he says, “is a pattern of what is accomplished with us. For the sea was likened to a baptismal font, the cloud of grace to the Spirit, Moses to a priest, the rod to the cross, the Israelites who crossed the sea to those being baptized, and the Egyptians who pursued represented an image of demons; Pharaoh himself served as an image of the devil” (Theodoret). How were they baptized into Moses? Not properly into Moses, but into Him whom he prefigured. Saint Chrysostom says: “Since the Apostle wishes to draw the prefigurement near to the truth, he calls even the prefigurement by the name of the truth.” That is, he says: into Moses, but by this you must understand not him but the Lord; as below he says, they drank from the spiritual rock, “and the rock was Christ.” To be baptized into someone means to give an obligation to be whose, to belong wholly to someone. Although it is said of the Israelites that in crossing the Red Sea they believed Moses, the servant of God (Ex. 14:31), yet the basis of their faith is not in him but in God, who showed such defense through him. Therefore, the baptism of the Israelites in the cloud and sea was through him into God and the Lord.

1 Cor. 10:3–4. All ate the same spiritual food; and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and the rock was Christ.

“Spiritual food” is manna, sent miraculously; “spiritual drink” is water from the rock, gushing forth miraculously. Both were called spiritual because they were not supplied by a natural way but by the miraculous power of God; as in the epistle to the Galatians Isaac is called a spiritual son of Abraham, and Ishmael a carnal one, for the reason that the former was born by a special action of God’s power, and the latter naturally (Gal. 4:29). The manna prefigured the body of the Lord, and the water from the rock the blood of the Lord, from whose rib flowed blood and water (Theodoret). “Above he pointed to the prefigurement of baptism, and here to the prefigurement of the sacred table. As you eat the Body of the Lord, so the Israelites ate manna; as you drink His Blood, so they drank water from the rock. Although this was physical, yet it was supplied spiritually, not by the laws of nature but by grace (that is, by the power of God). About the food (manna) he added nothing (in explanation), because it was (obviously) different from ordinary food not only in the way of obtaining it but in its very nature; but about the drink, in which only the way of obtaining it was miraculous and required explanation, after the words: ‘all drank the same spiritual drink,’ he added: ‘for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them,’ and further: ‘and the rock was Christ.’ Not the rock by its own nature gushed forth water, otherwise it would have gushed before—but a certain other, a spiritual rock did all this, that is, Christ, who constantly accompanied them and performed all the miracles; therefore he says: ‘that accompanied them.’ Do you see the wisdom of Paul, how he explains that Christ is the giver of both, and thus brings the prefigurement near to the truth? He supplied, he says, the Israelites those gifts; He also offers this table; He led them through the sea; He also leads you through the water of baptism; He provided them manna and water, but to you He offers Body and Blood. Such are His Gifts” (Saint Chrysostom).

Although we do not completely understand point for point the prefigurement and the truth, there is no necessity. The general thought is evident—that the Israelites received gifts from God which in a higher sense correspond to the Gifts given to Christians. For the Apostle’s purpose, this is sufficient. “Why does he speak this? So as to show that, just as the great gifts did not benefit the Israelites, so baptism and participation in the spiritual mysteries will not benefit the Corinthians, if their life does not correspond to such grace; therefore he points to the prefigurements of baptism and the mysteries” (Saint Chrysostom).

“Let us see then whether God spared the Israelites when they showed themselves unworthy of His gifts. No; therefore the Apostle adds” (Saint Chrysostom):

1 Cor. 10:5. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were struck down in the wilderness.

“Not with most of them”—“God was not pleased with many. For except Caleb and Joshua, all who were numbered were destroyed” (Theodoret). Or: God did not regard that there were many of them, and destroyed all—some by fire, some by serpents, some by sickness; all fell in the wilderness except two. “They were a great multitude, but their numbers in no way helped them. All the acts of kindness were a sign of God’s love, but this did not help them because they themselves did not show deeds of love. See how many acts of kindness God showed the Israelites: He delivered them from Egypt and from slavery there, led them through the sea, sent manna from heaven, caused wonderful springs of water to flow forth from the earth, constantly accompanied them, performing miracles and protecting them everywhere; and yet, when they proved unworthy of such gifts, He did not spare them but destroyed all of them. ‘They were struck down in the wilderness,’ says the Apostle, expressing both that they were suddenly struck down and that the punishments that struck them were sent by God. And moreover, He did not send all this upon them in the promised land, but outside and very far from it, punishing them with a double punishment: by not allowing them to see the promised land, and by punishing them severely. But how, you ask, does this pertain to us? It pertains to you precisely. Therefore the Apostle continues” (Saint Chrysostom):

1 Cor. 10:6. Now these things happened to them as examples, so that we should not desire evil things, as they also desired.

“As their gifts were prefigurements, so also their punishments were prefigurements; as baptism and the mysterious table were prefigured, so by the events that followed was also foretold that those unworthy of the gift would undergo punishment, so that by such examples we might learn to be temperate. As gifts preceded by prefigurements, and truth followed them, so it will be also with punishments. Do you see how he intimates that we will not only be punished, but even far more than the Israelites? For if there were prefigurements, and here there is truth, then the punishments must be far greater, just as the gifts are” (Saint Chrysostom).

“That we should not desire evil things” is understood as either evil desire in general, the source of every sin (Theophylact), as Saint James says: “desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin” (Jas. 1:15); or, in application to the words: “as they also desired,” especially gluttony and love of pleasure. For the Israelites are depicted as especially desirous of food (Oecumenius). Thus Prophet David says: “They craved in the wilderness… and He gave them what they asked, sending them abundance to their souls” (Ps. 105:14–15). And in the book of Numbers it is written: “the people craved with a strong craving, and the sons of Israel wept and said, Who will give us meat to eat?” (Num. 11:4). And the place where those struck down with such strong craving were buried was named “the graves of craving” (1 Cor. 34). The last is closer to the Apostle’s purpose. Here covertly the Apostle points to the reason that drew the clever Corinthians to tables of sacrifices from idols. They themselves said: we know that an idol is nothing, and consequently justified their behavior by elevated views; but the Apostle, presenting this image from the history of the Israelites, gives them a hint to examine themselves and see whether your elevated views truly reconcile you with sacrificial meat, or is it gluttony? Saint Chrysostom says: “He also presents the reason why they flocked to the tables: it is love of pleasure.” That this is indeed so is evident from the fact that immediately after this the Apostle speaks of idolaters. In Corinth Christians had already turned away from idolatry, and only some clever ones defiled themselves by contact with idolatry through participation in demonic tables. “Having said: ‘that we should not desire evil things,’ and continuing: ‘nor become idolaters,’ he points to the cause of such impiety in love of pleasure” (Saint Chrysostom).

1 Cor. 10:7. Do not become idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

This was after the molding of the calf and offering sacrifice to it (Ex. 32:6). Having eaten and drunk their fill, they rose up and began to sing songs and, forming choirs, to dance about and in every way to make merry. The Apostle’s purpose is to connect eating and drinking with idolatry through historical events, and thereby to suggest to the Corinthians: see, those progressed from idolatry to gluttony (as was always the case among the Gentiles), so that by a reverse path you might not ascend from gluttony to the worship of idols. But at the same time he hints to them that they have already come into contact with idolatry. For to whom else could it apply: “Do not become idolaters”? “Do you hear how he calls the Corinthians idolaters? Indeed here he only hints at it, but later he proves it” (Saint Chrysostom).

1 Cor. 10:8. Let us not be immoral, as some of them were; and in a single day twenty-three thousand people died.

And how did those act immorally? On the advice of Balaam (Num. 31:8–16), the Midianites sent women against the camp of the Israelites, who, being seduced by them, offered sacrifices to Baal of Peor, ate from the sacrifices and drank, and lay with the women (Num. 25). This brought down God’s wrath, and in a single day 23 or 24 thousand Israelites fell. By setting forth this example, Saint Paul adds one more feature to the dangers from eating food offered to idols—the danger of falling into idolatry—the danger of falling into immorality. For it is noted that in some cases unclean deeds were connected with priestly feasts. The Apostle’s attention is entirely fixed on one thing—on eating food offered to idols—and he depicts to the Corinthians with these examples what an abyss opens beneath what seemed to them such an insignificant deed, one that appeared so respectable to their clever persons with their independent views.

1 Cor. 10:9. Let us not put the Lord to the test, as some of them tested Him, and perished by the serpents.

The circumstance of the Israelites’ destruction by serpents determines the case the Apostle points to. From Mount Hor the Israelites directed themselves toward the Red Sea, going around the land of Edom, and, becoming discouraged, began to murmur against God and Moses, saying: Why did you bring us out of Egypt into the wilderness, where there is neither bread nor water? Are you going to kill us here? Because of this God was angered and sent serpents upon them (Num. 21:5–6). Saint David, depicting all the things by which the Israelites provoked God in the wilderness, in Psalm 77, called the fact that the Israelites craved better food a testing of God: “they tested God… and said, Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?” (1 Cor. 10:18–19). Saint Paul transferred this expression: “tested,” from the circumstance which the prophet speaks of to the case when the Israelites in discouragement complained of the scarcity of food, although strictly speaking it was murmuring. So here also the matter concerns food, and furthermore the complaint of the murmurer is also: “Can God?” only with even greater doubt.

By the words: “let us not put the Lord to the test” the Apostle hints that the Corinthians were in some way guilty of this, but how exactly cannot be determined with certainty from the epistle. Oecumenius writes that they, testing Christ, demanded signs. Perhaps there was such a case during the initial preaching. Given such extraordinary faith, signs were necessary, and the Apostles were equipped with them. But this demand was so natural that one cannot fully assign it to testing the Lord. Saint Chrysostom says that “the Apostle here points to one more transgression, accusing the Corinthians of murmuring against trials and saying: When will good things come? When rewards?” It is very likely that in these two verses: “let us not test—let us not murmur” the Apostle hints at the discouragement of the Corinthians, against which he will later encourage them (1 Cor. 10:13). But one need not seek absolute precision, for the Apostle’s purpose in citing these examples is simply to impress that one cannot live carelessly relying on the fact that one is called and baptized; this is evident from the examples given in their application. Some propose yet another thought: to test the Lord means to throw oneself into dangers with a questioning intention: I wonder if God will deliver me. Those eating food offered to idols exposed themselves to various moral trials. Perhaps they had the thought: the Lord will deliver, or: we will see if Christ will deliver us when trouble approaches. The Apostle says to them: “Let us not put the Lord to the test.”

1 Cor. 10:10. Do not murmur, as some of them murmured, and were destroyed by the destroyer.

It is difficult to determine what circumstance these words indicate. For the murmurings of the Israelites in the wilderness were numberless. At the slightest difficulty, immediately came murmuring, and it was severe. One could use the words: “were destroyed by the destroyer” to determine a particular case; but no such circumstance is evident in which any particular destroyer stood out. They perished in general from God’s punishment; sometimes a mysterious plague attacked them, sometimes serpents struck them, sometimes fire burned them, sometimes the earth opened and swallowed them. Oecumenius, after listing the various cases of Israel’s murmuring, stops at the one described in the 11th chapter of Numbers: “And the people began to murmur evilly before the Lord. And the Lord heard, and His wrath was kindled, and a fire of the Lord burned among them, and consumed some on the edge of the camp” (Num. 11:1). This fire, he says, is called by the Apostle the destroyer (ὀλοθρευτοῦ), as a certain punitive power of God—this occurred at the beginning of their wandering. Others understand here the rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, who were swallowed by the earth (Num. 16:41 and onwards). Still others—the murmuring as a result of spying out the land, for which God decreed that all who came out of Egypt, above 20 years of age, would die in the wilderness, excepting Joshua and Caleb. It is not clear which guess to prefer; nor is it clear how such an instruction could apply to the Corinthians. Let us rather use the general thought which Saint Chrysostom draws from this, who in both verses (1 Cor. 10:9–10) seems to see one lesson: encouragement toward patient endurance of all that comes. “Do not murmur, he says. It is necessary not only to suffer for Christ, but to endure all that happens courageously and with full satisfaction; this is the crown of all; and if this is not present, punishment will overtake the murmurers. The Apostles rejoiced when they were beaten; Paul gloried in his sufferings.”

Blessed Theodoret brings all five cases mentioned (1 Cor. 10:6–10) under one review and says: “The Apostle presented each of the aforementioned events as similar to that in which the Corinthians had transgressed. And, first of all, he pointed to evil desire, from which the greater part of evils arises; then to idolatry and to gluttony, from which the first also proceeded, because the Corinthians themselves, enslaved to gluttony, held feasts in the temples of idols. He mentioned also fornication, showed the number of those slain for it, sowing thereby the fear of punishment in the mind of the fornicator. And those who had received lesser gifts murmured among them, because not all were deemed worthy (this refers to Dathan and Abiram with Korah). And they tempted the Lord, those speaking in various tongues, using this gift in the Church more out of love of honor than out of necessity (of those assembled).”

1 Cor. 10:11. Now all these things happened to them as examples; and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

“Now all these things happened to them as examples.” All this truly happened to them, but not for them alone did the Lord manifest His judgments upon them; it was rather as an example for us, that, seeing it, we might learn in our minds that for those whom God has chosen for Himself and supplied with the gifts of grace, sins cannot remain unpunished. In what sense these are “examples” is explained by the words: “they were written for our admonition.” Read or listen, reflect and learn. No one will receive mercy—neither those who lust, who live only for their own pleasure with forgetfulness of God and the future life; nor idolaters, who base their hopes on people or things apart from God; nor those living in carnal sins; nor those who tempt God, who either recklessly throw themselves into dangers, or irreverently offend God, saying: what will God do? nor murmurers, to whom, whatever they desire, God gives, and when the least thing happens not to their liking, they rise up against heaven. The Apostle took only the chief judgments; but by saying “all,” he made it understood that the wandering of the Israelites in the wilderness, after the exodus from Egypt and the passage through the Red Sea, in all its parts can present instruction for us in life, from baptism until entering into the promised land, until the passage through the gates of death into the other life.

“Upon whom the ends of the ages have come,” word for word from the Greek thus: upon you (that is, us) the ends of the ages have come to rest. As a road goes on and on, and finally comes to rest against something—a wall or a mountain—so that there is nowhere further to go; so, he says, the former ages went on with their events, and came to rest upon us, upon whom all that was prefigured in them must be fulfilled. We are the goal of preceding events; in us is accomplished what there was only foretold. The Apostle wished to frighten them and turn them away from any attempt to avert from themselves the judgments of God, thinking: perhaps all this will somehow pass us by. No, he says, there is no escape; the last times; the dread judgment is near (holy Chrysostom). “He spoke of the last times in order to remind them of the end of the world, and at the same time to convey that our punishments will not be temporal but eternal. Temporal punishments end with the present life, but future ones will continue forever. Our gifts are greater, and our punishments are greater” (holy Chrysostom).

1 Cor. 10:12. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.

In the examples given, it was being conveyed: see, do not be carried away from feasting to idolatry and from both of these to fornication, or to tempting God and murmuring. The wise men with lofty views could say or think to this: oh no! we clearly understand the matter and stand firm. The Apostle instructs them: but he who thinks that he stands, let him take heed lest he fall. “Again he brings down the pride of those who were puffed up with knowledge. To rely on oneself does not mean to stand as one ought to stand; such a person will soon fall. Pride, and then carelessness and sensuality are the sources of evils. Therefore if you stand, beware lest you fall. To stand here (in this life) does not mean to stand firm until we are delivered from the waves of the present life and have reached the quiet harbor. So do not be proud that you stand, but fear lest you fall. For if Paul was afraid (1 Cor. 9:27), who was stronger than all, how much more ought we to fear” (holy Chrysostom).

1 Cor. 10:13. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man; but God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

What temptation is this? Not internal, as is evident from the whole discourse, but external: tribulations, afflictions, distresses from unbelievers. They were under this temptation and endured it; for he says, “has overtaken you.” And the Apostle Paul, speaking of his sojourn among them, writes that he was among them “in fear and in much trembling” (1 Cor. 2:3), of course sharing their afflictions. Perhaps having begun then, they had not ceased, and the believers were still under them when the epistle was written. Was not this perhaps why, bringing instructive examples, he also brought those in which God punished for tempting Him and murmuring? Were not these temptations connected with the eating of food offered to idols? Abstinence from them aroused suspicion, and then upon discovery of whence it came, persecution. The wise men, hiding behind knowledge, sat down fearlessly at the tables of idols and thereby avoided all unpleasantness; but others could not bring themselves to do this, and for that were subjected to insults, mockery, oppression. To the first the Apostle had already given strong instruction and would give more; here he speaks a few words to the second: do not lose courage, do not murmur. “No temptation has overtaken you that is common only to man,” that is, “small, brief, moderate. You have not yet seen danger that threatened you with death, temptation that could destroy you. He says the same also to the Hebrews: ‘You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood, struggling against sin’ (Heb. 12:4)” (holy Chrysostom).

But such a word, instead of consolation, could bring even greater fear. Let a small human temptation have overtaken us, but still it is burdensome, and who knows—tomorrow it will become even heavier. Anticipating such thoughts, which could bring despondency, the Apostle encourages and heartens them, saying: “God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability.” It is possible, as it were, that even what you fear may come, but be assured that God will not permit you to fall into temptations exceeding your strength. Entrust yourselves to His will and do not trouble yourselves with gloomy thoughts, but rather be encouraged by fortitude, trusting in the immutability of the promises of Him who said: “Come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). God is faithful! All is from Him, and all is in His hands. He knows how to proportion the burden to the strength of him upon whom He lays it. When a man casts himself into temptation, it is no wonder that he encounters something beyond his strength, and he will fall under it. But God will never tempt you “beyond your ability, but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” Let the temptation sent or permitted by God seem unbearable, but He will either soon deliver you from it, as soon as you show steadfastness, the trial will pass, or He will “provide with the temptation the way of escape,” or, if it is necessary to continue it, will give strength to endure all, and you will bear it as if scarcely noticing (Photius in Oecumenius). “God gives both endurance and speedy deliverance, so that the temptation becomes bearable” (holy Chrysostom).

Holy Chrysostom makes the following deduction: “So there are temptations that cannot be endured? There are. Which ones? One can say all of them; for the ability to endure them depends on the help of God, which we obtain through our own disposition. Not only temptations exceeding our strength, but even human temptations we cannot endure without help from above; even moderate temptations we cannot endure by our own strength, but even in this case we need the help of God to overcome, and before we overcome—to endure them.”

1 Cor. 10:14. Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.

To this chiefly he was leading the discourse from the beginning of the chapter. The Israelites, baptized in a prefigurative manner and nourished with spiritual bread and drinking spiritual drink, when they touched idolatry, perished. See then, you who are truly baptized and who partake of the true Body and Blood of the Lord, do not touch idolatry in any way. For God will not spare you either, and will spare you even less than them. Flee then from idolatry! By idolatry he means the eating of offerings sacrificed to idols. This is not direct idolatry, but participation in it, defilement by it. Before he did not touch upon this aspect, agreeing that knowledge and lofty views made them invulnerable to the defilement of idolatry. Now he attributes this to their action and says: flee, understand—flee such tables. Fear of participation in idolatry he had already aroused by the preceding judgments of God. It remains for him to explain that, eating from sacrifices to idols, they are partakers in idolatry. Of this the following discourse will speak.

Theodoret writes: “The Apostle gradually strengthens his accusation, and shows that indifferent consumption of food offered to idols differs in no way from serving idols.” Holy Chrysostom says: “Why does he urge them to quickly abstain from sin; for he did not simply say: abstain, but: flee; he calls their deed idolatry, so that they might abstain from it not only because it causes harm to their neighbor, but also because it is in itself most pernicious.”